Many people have asked us how we feel about the doctors and surgeons here. Do we feel like he is in good hands or that he should be transferred elsewhere. Chris and I both agree that we feel very comfortable here at Advocate Lutheran General Childrens Hospital. From down in the ER to every staff member we have met since, there have been nothing, and I mean nothing, but great things said about our Neurosurgeon Dr Ruge. Everyone keeps saying that he is phenomenal. The best there is. We are in excellent hands. Multiple nurses have told me that they would completely trust what he says and feel no need for another opinion. That he would be the dr they’d bring their child to for a 2nd opinion, and that if it were their child they hands down would be having Dr Ruge as their surgeon. This has been beyond reassuring as I know as a nurse myself, you don’t tend to speak highly and rave about a doctor you don’t care for or think is terrible!
We believe we are in the right place and that Cade is in the right hands. Dr Ruge has been great in explaining things to us, not wanting to rush unless it was emergent, wanting to give Cade rest and his body time to use the steroids, and to have the weekend to get his team together and prepare for Monday. His PA and NP have been incredible too, showing us the scans and explaining everything in great detail to us. They will not know what this is until surgery. They will have a pathologist in the OR to do a frozen biopsy which will give them a 90% idea of what type of tumor we are dealing with and what path to direct down from there. It will then be sent out for full pathology to get the 100% definite answers and this can take 5 days or so. They also intend to do genilogocal studies on the tumor given the past family history of Chris and his sister.
We are definitely scared. Devastated. In disbelief still that this is happening and it’s not all a bad dream. They have to tell you every terrifying bad thing that could possibly happen during surgery, including he could have a stroke or something could go diasterous and he could die on the table. That’s terrifying to hear. Yet at the same time I find that I have a sense of calm about me since we have been here. Maybe because I’m numb and it hasn’t hit me yet? I’d like to believe that it’s because maybe I just know he’s in good hands. Maybe because GOD is here with me. Taking some of that fear and anxiety for me and letting me know he is here and it’s all going to be alright. I really pray that’s it.
Please keep Cade in your prayers that he will have a comfortable next couple of days. Pray his surgeons will have steady hands and minds and that surgery will go the best it possibly can. Pray Cade is strong and he heals well. And pray for a benign tumor so my sweet man doesn’t have to go through radiation and chemo!
Our Warrior Journey 